Method of neutralizing the condition producing qualities of finely pulverized silicious materials



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC METHOD OF NEUTRALIZING THE CONDI- TION PRODUCING QUALITIES OF FINELY PULVERIZED SILICIOUS MATERIALS James J. Denny and Wilmot D. Robson,

Schumacher, Ontario, Canada No Drawing. Application January 18, 1939,

' Serial No. 251,532

' 12 Claims. (Cl. 521) This application is a continuation-in-part of as the silicious dust and capable of being our earlier patent application Serial No. 145,296, breathed into the lungs, in proportions sufflcient filed May 28, 1937. to neutralize the chemical reaction of the soluble Numerous industries operating with materials portion of the silicious material. h of a silicious nature are very seriously handi- Beaker tests made after extensive experimencapped by the fact that its operatives are affected tation have shown that l gramme of quartz dust by the inhalation of line particles of the silicious reduced to a size not exceeding 5 microns, immaterials which ultimately result in conditions mersed in 100 c. c.s of distilled water results in y erous to health which are known to be dissolving approximately 50 parts per million of responsible r a v ry i h p r enta e of ncap the silica at blood temperature. The addition of 10 itation of the operatives and also a high death 10 Inilligrams of metallic aluminum dust to 1 rate which the services of many gifted research gramme of quartz dust in 100 c. c.s of distilled sc ent sts have a e o ewater results in the reduction of the dissolution The object of the pr s invention is to p of the soluble silica to a negligible quantity, vide a condition fo p r n p r n in atmos- Careful experimental tests have shown that 15 p eresllftden dust cgn gli 2 5 1 g fiwhere the silicious material contains algalifie rialsw ch Wu 0 via 6 t e e rimel'l a c e earths, potassium and/0r sodium compoun s t e eflect resultant p the inhalation of fine silica passes into solution more rapidly and in particles Of such materials and thereby prevent greater quantity than when these are not presthe t i agp ttgf p gumoficanioisils (in these ent, but whether the dust is praciiicallly pure silica 20 psed ebl'ea lngo us a en or a compound with such ma eria s as a ove Exhaustive experiments have Pmven that when noted, the presence of metallic aluminum or its fine particles of silicious materials are brought compounds in even the small proportion of into Contact with alkaline fluids chemical change proximately 1% reduces the chemical reaction rein the Silica Particles takes i The fluid in sulting in the formation of toxic acids, to a neg- 25 the lungs of humans being alkaline with a pH of hgible quantity approximately theinhalafion of Such simi- Experiments as to solubility of various silicious ous particles results in a chemical change in the materials have shown that by the addition f lung cells which produces a toxic condition caus- 1% or less of metallic aluminum to eight dmer mg the dtaath of W cells and productlon of ent kinds of silicious materials placed in a solufibrous g f t m :33: g ig g gg tion with a pH of approximately 7.0 the solubility iggmb g figg 2 a theeaction is com of the silicious material was reduced approximately 91%. siderably accelerated in underground work due 35 to noxious gases Which are the product of Further solubility tests were made with vari bustlon of blasting powders ous samples of silica rock finely pulverized and The present invention proposes the intimate Simultaneously sllblecfied t0 ff agitation admixture with a silicious dust, of fine particles pp d Bakellte tubes for l of metallic aluminum or its compounds, of subriod of twenty hours at a temperature maintained 40 stantially the same size and/or specific gravity in a water bath from 37-40 C. 40

\ Results Sample Gramm e 1110 Alum 3323 45 Percent l. 0 100 c. c.+l0 mg. 1. 1

1. 0 100 c. c. 4. 4} 72 50 l. 0 100 c. e +10 mg. l. 2

1.0 100 c. c.+ 5 mg. C300; 11. 8} 82 1. 0 100 c. c.+l0 mg.+5 mg. 0800; 2. l

l. 0 100 c. c. 34. 9}

1. 0 c. c.+10 mg. 3. 4

The eflect of aluminum dust on quartz solubilities in synthetic physiological solutions is shown in the following tests made in rubber stoppered Bakelite tubes under continuous agitation at 375 0. (blood heat).

(1) 100 C. C. Tyrodes solution+1. grammes M c I n t y r e quartz.

(2) 100 C. C. Tyrodes solution+10 mg. a1. dust +1.0 grammes M c I n t y r e quartz.

Days g (2) Reduction Percenl 41. 9 2. 2 95 35. 9 2. 8 92 The results of these experiments prove conclusively that the presence of metallic aluminum dust in very small proportional quantities results in an enormous reduction in the solubility of silicious compounds and it may be reasonably adduced that the dispersal of finely pulverized aluminum or aluminous compounds into the atmosphere of mines, soap factories, ceramic industries and where stone workers, glass grinders, sand blasters, etc. are operating, will have a beneficial effect in materially reducing if not completely eliminating the danger of the workers contracting pneumoconiosis.

It is believed that when the aluminum or aluminum compound enters the lungs and is acted upon by the lung fluid, it is changed to an oxide or an hydroxide and, in comparison, the metallic aluminum has an advantage over compounds thereof due to its more prolonged hydroxide-producing properties in the lung environment.

It will be appreciated that many different methods of dispersing the aluminum dust so that it may be brought into association with the silicious materials in the lung fluid may be devised. In mines it may be incorporated in the blasting charges, or in mines or other industries it may be carried into. the dust-laden air by air circulating means, the latter being probably the most effective method in most industrial plants.

When incorporated in a blasting charge the aluminous material may be placed in a small package in a convenient form separate from the explosive charge so that it will be blown out and widely dispersed in the atmosphere with the dust.

It will also be understood that if in the course of manufacture the aluminum dust to be used is associated with such material as stearic acid or other coating, which might interfere with or objectionably retard the desired reaction with the body fluids when breathed into the pulmonary system, such foreign material should be removed in any suitable manner or avoided and such dust must be of a fineness capable of being breathed into the lungs, preferably less than 10 microns and preferably microns or less.

Throughout the specification reference has been made to the use of aluminum and/or its compounds or to aluminous compounds and it must be understood that such reference includes besides powdered metallic aluminum, any suitable or non-toxic aluminum compound, salt or derivative, such for example as aluminum oxide salts such as Al ammonium sulphate, Al chloride liquid, Al potassium sulphate, Al sulphate -and many others; also organic salts such as A1 acetate basic, Al acetotartrate, Al acetate, Al citrate and many others which may include substituted hydroxy compounds or substituted hydrocarbons.

Where the term "aulminous material is used in the claims it should be construed as including aluminum and/or suitable compounds, salts or derivatives thereof either separately or in any desired combination and in a form capable of entry into the human system as a means of counteracting or neutralizing the deleterious effect of breathing in fine particles of silicious material, within the spirit of the present invention. r It may be found desirable to apply the aluminum dust in other ways than those suggested, such for instance as by being breathed from some form of inhalator or perhaps where abrasives are used, the nozzle or tool for using the abrasive can be provided with an aluminum surface which will be have been supplemented by tests with synthetic physiological solutions and very extensive experi-' ments and tests have been made with animals where such were subjected to the effects of inhaled quartz dust and quartz dust mixed with 1% aluminum dust and it has been shown that the addition of small quantities of aluminum dust to the quartz dust almost completely inhibits the development of fibrosis while animals subjected to quartz dust without aluminum showed well developed silicosis. These animals were subjected to treatment for sixteen hours daily for a period of six months.

Details of these tests may be found in the paper presented by the applicants before the Academy of Medicine at Toronto, Canada, June 15, 1937, and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal 37, 1-11, 1937.

The ideal to be sought after is to procure aluminous material equivalent to a minimum of substantially 1% of the metallic aluminum in the lungs relative to the silicious material and a sumcient percentage should be maintained in the atmosphere to be inhaled to ensure such a'condition. The aluminous material may optionally be inhaled independent of; the silicious material to be subsequently admixed with this silicious material in lungs.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. The method of neutralizing the lung fibrosisproducing properties of finely pulverized silicious materials, comprising intimately associating therewith aluminous material capable of offsetting said properties in the respiratory organs.

2. A method of neutralizing the lung fibrosisproducing properties of finely pulverized silicious materials, comprising intimately associating therewith aluminous material of a fineness capable of being breathed into the lungs therewith and of a quality and quantity capable of substantially nullifying said properties in the lung environment.

3. A method of neutralizing the lung fibrosisproducing properties of finely pulverized silicious materials, comprising intimately associating therewith a' suitable derivative of aluminum of a fineness capable of being breathed into the lungs along with the silicious particles.

4. A method of neutralizing the lung fibrosisproducing qualities of, finely pulverized silicious materials consisting in associating with the silicious dust a quantity of finely pulverized aluminum in particles sufliciently small to be breathed into the lungs.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the finely powdered aluminum is of a size not exceeding 10 microns.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 consisting in maintaining in, a silica dust laden atmosphere approximately one percent (1%) of the weight of silicious particles per cc. of the finely pulverized aluminum.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 consisting in first removing any detrimental coating material from the pulverized aluminum. 1

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said aluminous material is dispersed in such quantity as to procure in the lungs an amount equivalent to a minimum of substantially 1% of metallic aluminum relative to the silicious material.

9. A method of neutralizing lung fibrosis-producing qualities of finely pulverized silicious materials, consisting in mixing with the silicious dust a quantity of finely atomized non-toxic aluminum compounds in particles spfiiciently small to be breathed into the lungs. l

10. A method of neutralizing the deleterious condition-producing properties of silicious dust in zones where operatives are engaged and which zones are provided with air circulating means, comprising distributing finely subdivided aluminous material to the atmosphereby way of the air circulating means;

11. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the association of the aluminum with a silicious dust is accomplished by placing the pulverized aluminum with a blasting charge in a container separate from said blasting charge and dispersing same simultaneously with the creation of the silicious dust in the explosion of the blasting charge. 7

12. A method of neutralizing the lung fibrosisproducing properties of finely pulverized silicious material comprising dispersing aluminous material independent of the pulverized silicious particles in such proportion and of such fineness as to ture with the silicious particles in the lungs.

JAMES J. DENNY. WILMOT D. ROBSON. 

